The four players first did an exercise where they placed their hands in a stack above Bell's head. They'd go in a circle putting their right hands out, then their left hands, then would take them back.

After a couple rotations, they squatted down and lifted Bell easily where they earlier struggled lifting one of their lighter teammates before the focus exercise.

The point of all that? To emphasize what can happen with perfect focus. It's something the team has to take extra seriously this week.

"We're all 100 percent into it, focused because (Sutter) is a really good team and most of our captains are really getting to it and being more disciplined," receiver David Yates said.

To beat Sutter will require a near-perfect performance.

Sutter has been the gem of the Northern Section the last decade-and-a-half. They've played in 12 section title games since the turn of the new millennium and won eight of them including four of the last five.

They've won their 11 games by an average of 41.6 points, allowed just 8.9 points per game all year and lost just once, 34-18, to an Orem (Utah) Tigers team in the season opener featuring several four-year college football prospects that—no big deal—just won the Utah 4A classification state championship.

Sure, Sutter's league schedule is on the weaker side year-over-year and that prompts some reasonable jabs at their overall strength of schedule.

But the Huskies do what really good teams do when they're better than another team: go up by a few touchdowns at halftime and lock the door. They also beat Chico on the road this year.

Records only go back to 2001 and these two schools have met six times, all of which have been Sutter wins by 21-plus points.

Could this be a reversal of recent fortune? Anderson players certainly have the belief it could be.

"You're going to go down there thinking you can win, I mean, you have to. They're a good team, but anybody's beatable," lineman Jarrett Kingston said.

The Cubs are in the midst of their best season since 2006 when they won a section championship. Their last outing was a 24-21 win at West Valley, avenging a 48-7 drubbing earlier this season that cost them the Northern Athletic League title.

Running back Parker Phillips has totaled 1,715 rushing yards (24 touchdowns), quarterback Rodney Kincaid has 2,170 total yards of offense (26 touchdowns) and Kingston leads the section with 14 sacks and ranks second with 24 tackles-for-loss.

Anderson's strength is its line (big and experienced on both sides) that parts the seas for the run game.

But the key goes back to focus.

"We have to control the line of scrimmage, execute, cut down the penalties, cut down the mistakes and if we got out there and execute and do we what we can do best...we can beat anybody," Kincaid said.

At times, it's been an issue with miscues and needless personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in games where the Cubs are in control (see: playoff win over U-Prep, road win at Corning).

When they watch Sutter on film, they see the Huskies are disciplined, smart, tough, well-coached and deceptively fast in the Wing-T offense. Mistakes just don't happen often.

That makes Anderson's margin for error even thinner. Any toe out of line for long enough could end with Sutter raising the trophy once again.

If you go

What: NSCIF Division III football championship game

Who: Anderson (10-2) at Sutter (11-1)

Where: Sutter Union High School, 2665 Acacia Ave., Sutter, CA

When: Saturday, Nov. 25, 7 p.m. scheduled kickoff

Stat breakdown: Anderson scores 32.7 points per game on offense and allows 17.6 points per game...Sutter averages 45.8 points on offense and allows 8.9 points on defense...Sutter leads the section in rushing yards with 4,625...Anderson is eighth with 2,926 yards...The Huskies have turned the ball over just four times while the Cubs have given it away 10 times...On defense Anderson has forced 27 turnovers and Sutter has forced 22...Both teams have three common opponents in Orland, Gridley and Oroville that they beat handily...Sutter beat the trio by a combined 153-20 while Anderson racked up a combined 118-37 score against the three.

Connect with Record Searchlight reporter Patrick Carr on Twitter @PatrickCarr_RS, on Facebook at Patrick Carr RS or by email at rssports@redding.com